The ceremony, which lasted well over three hours, concluded with chants of â€˜Allah-o-Akbar.â€

Cap. Michel, who changed his name to Abdul Wahed, started his brief speech with Bismillah (In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent and the most Merciful). During the last five years, Abdul Wahed pointed out, he had been studying Islamic books and he concluded that Islam is the first religion.

â€œIslam is a religion of peace and brotherhood, but terrorists and extremists are bringing a bad name to it,â€ he noted.